“Food Consumption and CO2 Emissions”

“Feasting on Carbon; Exploring the Link between Food Consumption and CO2 Emissions”


Safaa Assemlal

University of Arizona

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Question
  • What food category is mostly consumed in each country
  • CO2 vs Consumption
  • Conclusion
  • What we can do to help

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Introduction

About the data set

  • This study examines carbon emissions associated with food and diets.
  • Conducted by nu3.de, a German nutrition company, it analyzes greenhouse gas emissions during food production, processing, and transportation.
  • Lamb and goat have the most significant environmental impact, while wheat and soybeans are more sustainable choices with lower carbon footprints.
  • By reducing meat and dairy consumption and increasing intake of plant-based foods, we can reduce our individual carbon footprints and contribute to combating climate change.

Question

Do the patterns of CO2 emissions and consumption values vary significantly across different regions or countries, and if so, what are the key drivers of these variations?

  • This question would help our understanding the relationship between regional factors, food consumption, and environmental sustainability, and give us an understanding of how to reduce CO2 emissions and promote sustainable food systems.

What food category is mostly consumed in each country

What food category is mostly consumed in each country

While scrolling through this slide, you can see all the different countries in the data set and their most consumed food, the most consumed food category in the data set is “Milk- inc. Cheese”

Country Most Consumed Food
Albania Milk - inc. cheese
Algeria Wheat and Wheat Products
Angola Wheat and Wheat Products
Argentina Milk - inc. cheese
Armenia Milk - inc. cheese
Australia Milk - inc. cheese
Austria Milk - inc. cheese
Bahamas Milk - inc. cheese
Bangladesh Rice
Barbados Milk - inc. cheese
Belarus Milk - inc. cheese
Belgium Milk - inc. cheese
Belize Milk - inc. cheese
Bermuda Milk - inc. cheese
Bolivia Wheat and Wheat Products
Bosnia and Herzegovina Milk - inc. cheese
Botswana Milk - inc. cheese
Brazil Milk - inc. cheese
Bulgaria Milk - inc. cheese
Cambodia Rice
Cameroon Rice
Canada Milk - inc. cheese
Chile Milk - inc. cheese
China Rice
Colombia Milk - inc. cheese
Congo Wheat and Wheat Products
Costa Rica Milk - inc. cheese
Croatia Milk - inc. cheese
Cuba Milk - inc. cheese
Cyprus Milk - inc. cheese
Czech Republic Milk - inc. cheese
Denmark Milk - inc. cheese
Ecuador Milk - inc. cheese
Egypt Wheat and Wheat Products
El Salvador Milk - inc. cheese
Estonia Milk - inc. cheese
Ethiopia Milk - inc. cheese
Fiji Wheat and Wheat Products
Finland Milk - inc. cheese
France Milk - inc. cheese
French Polynesia Milk - inc. cheese
Gambia Rice
Georgia Wheat and Wheat Products
Germany Milk - inc. cheese
Ghana Rice
Greece Milk - inc. cheese
Grenada Milk - inc. cheese
Guatemala Milk - inc. cheese
Guinea Rice
Honduras Milk - inc. cheese
Hong Kong SAR. China Milk - inc. cheese
Hungary Milk - inc. cheese
Iceland Milk - inc. cheese
India Milk - inc. cheese
Indonesia Rice
Iran Wheat and Wheat Products
Ireland Milk - inc. cheese
Israel Milk - inc. cheese
Italy Milk - inc. cheese
Jamaica Milk - inc. cheese
Japan Milk - inc. cheese
Jordan Wheat and Wheat Products
Kazakhstan Milk - inc. cheese
Kenya Milk - inc. cheese
Kuwait Milk - inc. cheese
Latvia Milk - inc. cheese
Liberia Rice
Lithuania Milk - inc. cheese
Luxembourg Milk - inc. cheese
Macedonia Milk - inc. cheese
Madagascar Rice
Malawi Wheat and Wheat Products
Malaysia Rice
Maldives Fish
Malta Milk - inc. cheese
Mauritius Milk - inc. cheese
Mexico Milk - inc. cheese
Morocco Wheat and Wheat Products
Mozambique Rice
Myanmar Rice
Namibia Milk - inc. cheese
Nepal Rice
Netherlands Milk - inc. cheese
New Caledonia Milk - inc. cheese
New Zealand Milk - inc. cheese
Nicaragua Milk - inc. cheese
Niger Milk - inc. cheese
Nigeria Rice
Norway Milk - inc. cheese
Oman Milk - inc. cheese
Pakistan Milk - inc. cheese
Panama Milk - inc. cheese
Paraguay Milk - inc. cheese
Peru Milk - inc. cheese
Philippines Rice
Poland Milk - inc. cheese
Portugal Milk - inc. cheese
Romania Milk - inc. cheese
Russia Milk - inc. cheese
Rwanda Wheat and Wheat Products
Saudi Arabia Wheat and Wheat Products
Senegal Rice
Serbia Milk - inc. cheese
Sierra Leone Rice
Slovakia Milk - inc. cheese
Slovenia Milk - inc. cheese
South Africa Wheat and Wheat Products
South Korea Rice
Spain Milk - inc. cheese
Sri Lanka Rice
Swaziland Milk - inc. cheese
Sweden Milk - inc. cheese
Switzerland Milk - inc. cheese
Taiwan. ROC Wheat and Wheat Products
Tanzania Milk - inc. cheese
Thailand Rice
Togo Rice
Trinidad and Tobago Milk - inc. cheese
Tunisia Wheat and Wheat Products
Turkey Milk - inc. cheese
USA Milk - inc. cheese
Uganda Milk - inc. cheese
Ukraine Milk - inc. cheese
United Arab Emirates Milk - inc. cheese
United Kingdom Milk - inc. cheese
Uruguay Milk - inc. cheese
Venezuela Milk - inc. cheese
Vietnam Rice
Zambia Wheat and Wheat Products
Zimbabwe Milk - inc. cheese

CO2 vs Consumption

This graph shows the average CO2 emission per food category. This graph shows that lamb and goat are the most inefficient and should be avoided and that wheat and wheat products as well as soybeans produce the least CO2 emission in the list of foods.

CO2 vs Consumption (con.)

The line graph shows each country, their consumption of each food in the list of food categories and the CO2 emission from the consumption. This graph shows that while Beef is not as consumed in any of the countries, it still emits a significant amount of CO2.

CONCLUSION

Conclusion

  • Food consumption plays a significant role in CO2 emissions and their impact on the environment.
  • Making conscious dietary choices can have a substantial effect on reducing greenhouse gas production.
  • Research has shown that there are significant variations in both CO2 emission and consumption rates throughout different countries and that there are several key factors that contribute to these variations
  • Taking steps towards sustainable food consumption can have positive impacts on both individual well-being and the environment.

What we can do to help

  • Increase consumption of plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
  • Reduce consumption of meat, particularly red meat and processed meat.
  • Choose sustainable sourced seafood options and limit fish high in mercury or overfished species.
  • Opt for organic and locally grown produce to support sustainable agriculture practices.
  • Minimize food waste by planning meals, storing food properly, and repurposing leftovers.

Together, we can lower CO2 emissions and ensure a healthy planet for future generations.